Several years ago my husband abandoned me very suddenly and without explanation. I had no income and was very frightened. We had also been "growing" a small business, but I was unable to continue this venture on my own. Right away, I asked an experienced Christian Scientist to pray for me and with me. His love, intelligence, and steadfastness were both an anchor and a life preserver during this difficult time.

We talked about my ability constantly to express gratitude for the allness of God, Love, no matter what the outward situation appeared to be. As he pointed out, the truth was that I had never been and could never be outside of Love's infinite care and provision. He also urged me to claim the truth that God is the only creator. I needed to grasp the fact that all that really exists is God's totally good handiwork, and is under His government.

I saw the results of our prayer immediately. In a short time I was led to new employment, and someone was found to take over the operation of the business, relieving me of that responsibility while allowing this worthwhile activity to continue.

The idea of divorce was very difficult for me to accept, as I would have preferred to try to work out the difficulties rather than abandon the marriage. But this decision was out of my hands. I derived a great deal of comfort from Mary Baker Eddy's writings, especially a note she wrote regarding the weekly Bible Lessons in the Christian Science Quarterly. This note reads in part, "The canonical writings, together with the word of our textbook, corroborating and explaining the Bible texts in their spiritual import and application to all ages, past, present, and future, constitute a sermon undivorced from truth, uncontaminated and unfettered by human hypotheses, and divinely authorized."

That phrase "undivorced from truth" caught my attention. I realized that as the image and likeness of God, divine Truth, I, too, am "undivorced from truth, uncontaminated ... by human hypotheses, and divinely authorized." This eliminated my fear of what others might think and helped free me from feeling pigeonholed by the label "divorced."

I also found Hymn 46 from the Christian Science Hymnal very helpful. Here's what it says:

Daily I endeavored to turn my concerns, and indeed my entire life, over to God—to trust His disposition of my affairs. Many challenges surfaced during this time—grief, loneliness, financial difficulty, and even the specter of homelessness—but I was able to meet each one through prayer. And I grew spiritually as a result.

After several months of daily, consecrated prayer, the immediate crisis passed. My everyday needs were being met. I felt rudderless, however, and had a deep longing for a more purposeful life, especially for a change of employment. While I was very grateful for having been rescued from financial ruin, I yearned for a more satisfying way to express the talents God had given me. So I began to investigate other career options.

It was during this seeking time that a woman's testimony in an earlier issue of this magazine provided an answer to my prayer. It told of her difficult divorce and of the spiritual growth required of her during this experience. One outcome she mentioned was that she developed a better sense of "conscious worth." That phrase is from an address written by Mrs. Eddy. Here's the full sentence:

"Happiness consists in being and in doing good; only what God gives, and what we give ourselves and others through His tenure, confers happiness: conscious worth satisfies the hungry heart, and nothing else can" (Message for 1902, p. 17).

I now saw that a lack of confirmed worth had led me to make a bad marriage decision in the first place. This was confirmed as I studied the chapter "Marriage" in Science and Health, in which many of the qualities necessary to an enduring and successful union are discussed. At the time I married I hadn't understood the importance of basing the relationship on such sure footing.

Thinking further about conscious worth, I started to cherish the idea of completing my college degree, which I had begun more than twenty years before. Eventually, I applied to a brand-new degree program in a field of study that I had been pursuing on my own for many years. I was quickly accepted and soon moved halfway across the United States to begin school. This new course of study proved to be a perfect fit for my talents and abilities. I feel it was God's answer to my prayer for a fresh direction and a better way to put my talents to use.

As I look back over this experience, I realize that, instead of loss, I have been given a fresh start in life, and I cherish this new beginning with all my heart. As an added blessing, I have found that the wisdom and strength cultivated during this difficult time enable me to help and comfort others.